The Penta Young Reporters were invited to attend the 10th International Workshop on Adolescence, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) & HIV 2026, held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 21 to 23 September 2026.
Prashant reflects on his experience:
As a Penta Young Reporter, attending the workshop gave me the opportunity to engage with researchers, clinicians, scientists, and community representatives from a wide range of settings. Through these conversations, I learned more about adolescent HIV, SRHR, treatment and prevention strategies, treatment adherence, and youth-responsive models of care.
One of the most valuable aspects of the workshop for me was networking. It has become one of the most important parts of participating in international events like this. Networking enabled me to build relationships, learn from people with different experiences, identify shared areas of interest, and explore opportunities for future collaboration. As a young person, being able to have direct conversations with experts also helps bring greater visibility to the realities, challenges, and perspectives of young people living with and affected by HIV.
One of the highlights of the workshop was participating as a speaker on on a debate on long-acting injectable (LAI) treatment and the challenges of treatment adherence. I had to argue against the treatment. My thoughts on LAIs are that it should be about choice for anyone who is really in need of getting the LAI treatment. Nobody should have to fail their oral medication to be offered the LAI. Speaking in front of researchers, clinicians, and other experts was both exciting and challenging. The encouragement, openness, and respect shown by other participants made the experience especially meaningful and rewarding.
I return from Bangkok with new knowledge, valuable connections, and a stronger understanding of how youth participation and meaningful networking can help ensure that community voices are heard in the spaces where research, programmes, and future approaches to HIV care are being shaped. This experience reinforced the importance of including young people as active partners in discussions that directly affect their health and wellbeing.
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